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Projects

Stillwater Geothermal Boost

Project Facts:

When Enel Green Power integrated a SkyTrough solar thermal system to their existing power plant in Stillwater, Nevada, it became the very first triple hybrid powerplant in the world, combining geothermal, photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Forty-Four SkyTrough SCAs are arranged in 11 loops of 4 collectors each to supply 72 kg/s of demineralized water at 160 °C (320 °F) to a water/geothermal brine heat exchanger. The heated water acts as a temperature boost to increase the utilization of the existing power system. The plant entered full operation in 2015.

The detailed design of the solar field, as well as balance of field and construction, was provided by Power Engineers and TBC. Essential components for these collectors were manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Medicine Hat ISCC

Project Facts:

Located outside of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada is Canada’s very first integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) plant. SkyFuel’s SkyTrough was selected for this project to supply solar thermal energy to offset the natural gas needed to generate approximately 1 MW of electricity for the City of Medicine Hat’s existing combined cycle power plant. Eight SkyTrough SCAs, with a total aperture area of 5,248 m2, arranged in 2 loops of 4 collectors, delivers 3.07 MW of thermal energy at design conditions (800 W/m2) to a solar steam generator.

The detailed design of the solar field, as well as balance of field and construction, was provided by WorleyParsons and Dynamic. Essential components for these collectors were manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.

SkyTrough®DSP Direct Molten Salt Test Loop

Project Facts:

As part of the Department of Energy‘s SunShot Initiative, SkyFuel installed a single prototype module of of SkyTroughDSP at the SkyFuel demo site in Denver, Colorado in 2013. The project was initiated to test the performance of SkyTroughDSP’s prototype parabolic trough collector, which features a 7.6 meter aperture. The system features direct molten salt operation and uses receivers from Schott Solar.

This test platform began operation at the end of 2013 and is still active with a host of research and development being conducted to develop and continuously improve our commercial-ready SkyTroughDSP. The focus of the R&D is to validate a variety of molten salt SCA components and system operational methodologies.

The detailed design of the system, as well as balance of field and construction was provided by SkyFuel. All components of this collector was manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.

WaterFX Solar Thermal Desalination Plant

Project Facts:

SkyFuel installed a single SkyTrough SCA for a pilot desalination project just outside of Fresno, California as part of the U.S.’s first solar-driven desalination plant. The project was developed by ATSI and was funded by the local water agency. Its purpose is to demonstrate the viability of brine water purification for agricultural use utilizing solar-derived thermal energy.

The Fresno pilot system uses a multi-phase evaporation process and produces approximately 10/gallons per minute for 17 hours a day, yielding roughly 10,000 gallons of distilled water daily. The system was completed in August 2013, and is operating at design point output.

The developer of the project and desalination technology provider is WaterFX. Essential components for the collector was manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.

SEGS II

Project Facts:

A single thermal loop consisting of three SkyTrough SCAs providing approximately 1 MWth at design conditions, was installed at Solar Electric Generating Station II (SEGS II) in Daggett, California. The system has been in continuous operation, providing heat to the existing SEGS II power block, since February, 2010.

The collector loop was assembled by an independent contractor under SkyFuel supervision to demonstrate the ease of installation and further refine installation processes and procedures. The solar field computer communicates with, and is under the control of the SEGS II system operator. Detailed performance data is collected automatically and provided to SkyFuel and the SEGS II operator.

Independent engineering firm Sargent & Lundy validated the performance of the collector loop and compared it to predicted performance model, taking into account the weather data collected in real time at the site. The performance model was based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) measurements of the collector module’s optical efficiency and receiver heat loss.

Essential components for these collectors were manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Gümüsköy Geothermal Hybrid

Project Facts:

A single SkyTrough solar collector has been integrated with the Gümüşköy CSP / Geothermal 13.3MWe hybrid facility, which runs two TAS Energy, Inc. power generation units. The SkyTrough solar thermal collector improves the operating efficiency of the TAS units by increasing the thermal energy input. The Gümüşköy Integrated Solar Geothermal (ISG) hybrid system began full operation in 2014.

TYT designed and installed the project. SkyTrough components were manufactured globally to meet SkyFuel’s design specifications and high-quality standards. Essential components for the collector was manufactured by SkyFuel in Denver, Colorado, USA.